The present invention relates to a feature provided by a navigation system that reduces the amount of unnecessary travel by an end user thereby saving the end user time and expense.
Navigation systems are available that provide end users (such as drivers and passengers of the vehicles in which the in-vehicle navigation systems are installed) with various navigation-related features and functions. For example, some navigation systems are able to determine an optimum route to travel by roads between locations in a geographic region. Using input from the end user, and optionally from equipment that can determine the end user""s physical location (such as a GPS system), a navigation system can examine various paths between two locations to determine an optimum (i.e., fastest) route to travel from a starting location to a destination location in the geographic region. After determining the optimum route to a destination, the navigation system may then provide the end user with information about the optimum route in the form of guidance that identifies the driving maneuvers required to be taken by the end user to travel from the starting location to the destination location. The guidance may take the form of visual and/or audio instructions that are provided along the way as the end user is traveling the route. Some navigation systems are able to show detailed maps on display screens outlining routes to destinations, the types of maneuvers to be taken at various locations along the routes, locations of certain types of features, and so on. With some navigation systems, traffic conditions are taken into account when determining optimum routes.
One of the benefits provided by navigation systems is that they save time for users. Navigation systems achieve this benefit in several ways. Navigation systems help users locate desired destinations quickly. Navigation systems also provide users with the fastest routes to desired destinations. Although navigation systems save time for people who use them, there continues to be room for improvements. For example, drivers still encounter traffic congestion and delays. Therefore, there continues to be a need to find ways to save time for users of navigation systems.
To address these and other objectives, the present invention comprises a driving profile program. The driving profile program collects information about an end user""s driving activity. The information collected by the driving profile program relates to trips made by the end user. The information about trips includes the departure times, the stops along the way, the arrival times, and the purposes of the trips, as well as other types of information. After collecting this information over a period of time, such as one or more II months, the driving profile program analyzes the end user""s driving activity. The driving profile program then provides the end user with a profile of his/her driving activity. In addition, based on the analysis of the end user""s driving activity, the driving profile program identifies ways to reduce the amount of time and/or expense that the end user spends traveling in his/her vehicle. The driving profile program suggests modifications to the end user""s driving activity that would save the end user time or expense.
In a further aspect, the driving profile program uses traffic information relating to routes along which the end user travels in order to suggest ways that the driver can reduce the amount of time spent traveling.
In another aspect, the driving profile program takes into account other end users"" driving activities in order to suggest ways that a driver can reduce the amount of time or expense spent traveling.